It was a chance trip to Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, 20 years ago that introduced lyricist-writer Manoj Muntashir to the tales of the 18th-century queen, Ahilyabai Holkar, who ruled over the Malwa kingdom. The story of her courage and compassion left such an indelible imprint on him that as he turns producer, he has decided to bring the life of the Maratha queen to the big screen.

Manoj Muntashir